Ments



No. 437,833. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

lIO

UNITED STATES NEW YORK.

l STORAGE-CASE FOR BO Ks PATENT OEEICE.

BY MEsNE ASSIGN- ii'nINe COMPANY, OF

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,883; dated October 7, 1890.

Application iiled April 19,1890.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HORACE J. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage-Cases for Books, dto., of which the following is a specification.

The object of my inv'ention is to facilitate the handling and prevent the abrasion and injury of heavy books, the.

It consists, essentially, of the peculiar arrangement of the guiding and supporting rollers and of the peculiarities in the construetion of the case and shelves, hereinafter speeiically set forth.

In the accompanying drawings like letters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cabinet or case embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan View, on an enlarged scale, of one of the shelves or book-supportin g racks. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line sa, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of one of the upright guide-roll bearings, showing also the method of securing the book shelves or racks in the case; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line y y, Fig. 4.

A represents the cabinet or case, which may be either fixed or movable, and may be made 0f any suitable material, but is preferably formed of heavy sheet-iron, with or without a back, as desired.

B is one of the book-supporting shelves or racks, composed of a metallic frame, in which are mounted rollers for guiding and supporting the books, dac. This metallic frame is preferably formed of heavy bancbiron in sections c, c c', c2 c2, and ci' c.

The section c, forming the back of the rack, extends from side to side of the case A and is bent forward at each end at right angles and perforated or notched, as shown in Fig. 4, to receive the bolts a a', by which the rack is secured at the rear to said ease.

The two sections e c are attached to the section c, a short distance inside of the ends thereof, extend from the back to the front of the case, and are bent outward at right angles to meet the sides of the case, and again back at right angles at their ends, which are perforated or n clied, :if een in Fig. 4, to re- Serial No. 348,629. (No model.)

eeive the bolts ao, supporting the frame at the front andsccuring the same to the sides of said case.

The sections e2 e2 are arranged parallel with and between the sections e e and ex tend' from the section c, to which they are attached, to the front of the shelf. Cross-sections c3 e3, parallel with and alittle to the rear of the front of the roller-frame, connect and brace the sections e' e and c2 e2.

Rollers n yn', made of iron, Wood, or any suitable material, are'mounted, as shown in Fig. 2, in pairs parallel with the front and rear edges of the rack lil, between the sections e' e and e2 c2, which aie perforated and furnish bearings for the joilrnals of said rollers. I One of each pair of said rollers, preferably the front one n, is set" above the other and projects above the roller-frame, as seen in. Fig. 2, so as to support a book ont of contact with said frame. The rear roller n a of each pair is made to project below the roller-frame and thus prevent the book on the rack next below when tilted in removing or inserting the same in the case from rubbing against said frame. By thus arranging one set of rollers below the other each set operates independently, and when a book is resting upon the roller n n, and a book beingiplaeed -upon or removed from the shelf Or rack next below engages any of the rollers n u they will turn freely without eifect upon the book resting abm e on the rollers '1t 11.

If desired, rollers n2 'u2 may be placed between the side sections c2 e2 of the roller-frame on a level with the rollers n 11, to prevent the book from sagging at the ee1'.|;er. For supporting all ordinary sizes of books, however, the rollers n o1., if properly disposed, are sufficient without the rollers n? 12.2.

The front rollers n n are set, as Seen in Figs. 2 and 3, in front of the cross-sections e3 e3 of the roller-frame, and project slightly in front of and above said frame, so as to prevent con: tact between said frame and a book whenever the latter is inserted in or removed from the case A at any inclination to the racks l5.

At the ends of the racks B, just in advance of the sides of case A and projecting a little inside of the same, I provide the upright rollers D D, which may be supported in dif- IOO ferent ways, but, as shown, are journaled in brackets d d, secured to the sides of said case A, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

For convenience in moving the case two upright rollers D D may be set in advance of the rollers D D in extensions d d of the brackets supporting the adjacent ends of said rollers D D, as shown in Fig. 1.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangements of parts shown, I claiml. In a storge-case for books, the., a supporting-rack composed of a roller-frame or shelf and two sets of rollers j ournaled therein, one set pr jectiLg abe Je and one below the other, substantiallynas set forth.

2. In a storage-case forbooks, dsc., the eombination of supporting racks or shelves and ranged to prevent a book or the like on the adjacent shelf orshelves from rubbing against the sides of said case, substantially as set forth.

4. In a storage case for books, dro, the combination of a portable cabinet or case, verticallyladjustable shelves or racks, horizontal rol'le'ns journaled in said shelves or racks, and upright rollers supported in suitable bear@ ings adjacent to the ends of the said shelves or racks, substantially as set forth.

5. In a storage-case for books, duc., a supporting rack, frame, or shelf supporting a plurality of rollers projecting above its upper surface, and'also airoller projecting below the lower surface of the first-named rollers, substantially as described.

G.' The combination, with a case provided with vhorizontal rollers and supports therefor, of upright rollers arranged adjacent to the en'd-s of the horizontal rollers, and supportsl for said upright rollers, substantially as described. upright rollers supported adjacent to the 7. The combination of a shelf or rack with the parallel horizontal rollers j ournaled therein, and the vertical rollers'arrangcd adjacent to the sides thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of twc subscribing Witnesses.

HORACE J. HOFFMAN. Witnesses:

EMMA HOFFMAN, GLADYs CRANDALL. 

